10 Delicious Keto-Friendly Thanksgiving Desserts

From turkey to mashed potatoes to mac and cheese, there’s a lot to love about Thanksgiving—aside from spending time with close family and friends, of course. But if we’re being completely honest, we’re most looking forward to the delicious pies and other decadent desserts. And if you or any of your guests are following the keto diet or another low-carb eating plan, you can have your slice and then some. Related: 9 Simple Gluten-Free Holiday Desserts Everyone Will Enjoy These mouthwatering, low-carb desserts are made of satisfying high-fat and high-fiber ingredients so you stay full for hours and keep your blood sugar levels stabilized. Think: full-fat coconut milk, almond flour, canned pumpkin and avocado. Plus, they’re easily accessible, so you don’t have to go hunting in advance. Best of all, you can share them with the entire table. That’s right—you don’t have to make different sets of holiday desserts to please a crowd. These delicious, keto-friendly treats will bring everyone together. Now, that’s the holiday spirit. Related: 5 Healthy Baked Goods That Make Great Holiday Gifts 10 Delicious Thanksgiving Keto Desserts 1. Pumpkin Souffle No Thanksgiving table is complete without a pumpkin treat, and this crustless dessert checks all of the keto boxes. Nutmeg, cinnamon, and vanilla lend the heartwarming flavors of fall, while canned pumpkin offers hunger-curbing fiber and antioxidants. Although this dessert calls for half a cup of raw cane sugar, you can easily substitute it with monk fruit, or another keto-friendly sweetener. GET THE RECIPE 2. Low-Carb Yellow Squash Pie Although apples serve up boatloads of fiber, vitamin C, potassium and disease-fighting phytochemicals, they are high in carbs, so they aren’t recommended on the keto diet. For a low-carb alternative, this recipe subs in yellow squash, which supplies vitamins A and C and folate. Almond flour, cream cheese and egg come together to make a keto-approved and gluten-free buttery crust. The ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice infuse the pie filling with robust flavor. GET THE RECIPE 3. Pumpkin Pie With Streusel Topping Your gluten-free and low-carb guests will love the scrumptious crumble on top of this pie so much that they won’t even miss the crust. Almond flour, coconut flour, chopped pecans, a little brown sugar, and a dash of cinnamon give the pumpkin puree filling a delicious texture. Serve the slices a la mode with a scoop of keto-approved vanilla ice cream. GET THE RECIPE 4. Coconut Panna Cotta Dairy-free and low-carb, panna cotta is an Italian dessert that’s made of gelatin and sweetened cream. It also happens to make the ultimate keto dessert that will bring everyone around the dessert table. This recipe uses five simple ingredients, including full-fat coconut milk and stevia to satisfy your sweet tooth and keep you full. Plus, it can be made two to three days in advance, so when it’s time to serve, you just pull it out of the fridge. GET THE RECIPE 5. Avocado Chocolate Pudding Chocolate lovers will appreciate this rich and decadent vegan pudding. Avocado offers filling, good-for-you fats and cacao powder provides health-boosting flavonoids. Serve in separate sundae glasses and top with grated dark chocolate, coconut whipped cream, and ground cinnamon for a festive finishing touch. GET THE RECIPE 6. New York Cheesecake Dense and creamy, this New York-style cheesecake has a smooth texture that just melts in your mouth. Each bite is so satisfyingly rich you won’t miss the crust. Enjoy a slice with some low-carb fruits, such as blackberries, raspberries and strawberries. GET THE RECIPE 7. Gingerbread Cake Your guests will never want to leave your kitchen, thanks to the heavenly smell of ginger, cinnamon and cocoa wafting from this festive cake. It’s not only made with simple pantry ingredients, but it takes just 20 minutes to bake in the oven. One cake is good for nine servings, so you can easily make two and have more than enough for seconds to go around. You can also bake it in advance and store it in the fridge in a container for up to five days. GET THE RECIPE 8. Sugar-Free Pecan Pie Next to pumpkin pie, pecan is a Thanksgiving favorite. This pecan pie recipe has an almond flour crust and the ooey gooey caramel filling you crave. But instead of using granulated sugar like traditional caramel recipes do, powdered monk fruit subs in to make it keto-friendly. GET THE RECIPE 9. Grain-Free Banana Avocado Brownies These rich and fudgy brownies are sure to take the spotlight on your dessert table from adults and kids alike. Avocado and sunflower seed butter make the brownies extra rich and creamy, while banana flour and flaxseed keep it low-glycemic and fiber-rich. Made to serve 16, we’re betting that your guests will come back for more so make a double batch. GET THE RECIPE 10. Almond Flour Biscotti End your Thanksgiving feast on a sweet note by serving these delicious almond biscotti with a cup of coffee or tea. It’s made of finely chopped almonds, almond flour, psyllium husk, and erythritol, which all get the keto stamp of approval. Dip the biscotti in some melted dark chocolate and top with some unsweetened shredded coconut. (Images: Shutterstock) GET THE RECIPE

Diets Decoded: The Ketogenic Diet

Is the ketogenic diet healthy? We’re going to let you in on a little secret. Most popular healthy diets that are touted for weight loss—from Paleo to Mediterranean and vegetarian—share many of the same basic principles. All involve eating whole foods (as opposed to packaged and processed) and filling your plate with quality sources of protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, and vitamin-, mineral-, and fiber-rich vegetables. (Again, we’re talking about the ones that fall somewhere on the healthy spectrum, not unhealthy fad diets like, ahem, the Grapefruit Diet.) However, each proposes a slightly different path that leads to fulfilling those principles. In this column, we’ll be breaking them down for you one by one so you can figure out which (if any!) is right for you. We’ll quickly explain the facts and then provide quick, actionable tips on how to follow the diet as part of a Nutritious Life. The Ketogenic Diet: What It Is The ketogenic diet is like Atkins amplified. Instead of just low-carb, it’s “almost no carb” and lots of fat. It’s been around for a long time but has recently gotten a lot of attention. Originally developed to treat children with epilepsy, the ketogenic diet restricts carb intake to as low as 2%-4% of calories, with a 4:1 ratio of fat to carbs and protein combined. (For comparison, standard diets contain about 45 to 65 percent of calories from carbs; we generally recommend sticking to the lower end of that spectrum and avoiding refined carbs.) The goal of eating this way is to move the body into a state called ketosis. During ketosis, instead of breaking down carbs (there are none!) into glucose for fuel, the liver converts fat into ketone bodies, which become the body’s primary source of energy. Advocates say when your body uses fat as fuel, major benefits follow. RELATED: Will Exercising on an Empty Stomach Help You Lose Weight? What You Eat Ketogenic diets are high fat with moderate protein and very, very low carb intake. You eat lots of red meat, fatty fish, poultry, and eggs. Other fat-forward foods on the menu: butter, cream, cheese, some (limited) yogurt, nuts, oils like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, and avocados. Veggies are involved but only low-carb ones like greens, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. What You Don’t Eat You basically eliminate all varieties of carbs, including pasta, grains, bread, and sweets. You can also say goodbye to healthy foods like most root vegetables, legumes, and fruit. Most alcoholic drinks will also ruin ketosis, so rosé at the beach will no longer be an option. Pros and Cons There is some interesting research that points to potential benefits of a ketogenic diet. A few studies have shown it may promote weight loss, lower blood sugar, and increase insulin sensitivity in diabetics. (Taken together that would make it great for heart health, overall.) RELATED: 5 Smart Tips for Heart Health Many people also talk about brain health benefits: Studies have shown it can reduce seizures in children with epilepsy. Some studies also suggest it may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, although the research in that area is far from definitive. But here’s the issue: Could you really stick to it, and if you could, would it ruin your life? Even further, if it’s going to be that difficult for you, is it necessary? The ketogenic diet is pretty extreme, and while it may help people lose weight during a controlled study, it may drive you nuts while navigating a world filled with office cupcakes and happy hours. A diet that makes you miserable is not going to work for you, period. Other downsides: There’s an initial period during which your body is adjusting to its new carb-free existence, and many people experience symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, and nausea for a few weeks. You also end up deficient in important micronutrients, like folate, calcium, and potassium, which is why most ketogenic devotees recommend taking multivitamins. Personally, we prefer a diet that at least in its ideal state provides all of the nutrients you need via real, whole foods. The Bottom Line We don’t want to totally knock the ketogenic diet since research points to the fact that it could provide real benefits for certain people. The key is to ask yourself: Am I one of those people? If you have health reasons that make you want to try it and eating bacon and eggs and steak salads every day sounds amazing, maybe you could swing it. If nothing makes you happier than a fresh piece of sourdough or beans are one of the protein sources you rely on, there’s no point in trying a diet that’s not going to work. Just focus on minimizing bad carbs like pasta and cereals and focusing on whole grains, veggies, fruit, and legumes to meet your body’s carbohydrate needs. And by all means, eat fat! In order for our bodies to function properly, we all need to eat some fat every day. It provides energy, helps burn fat, and allows for the absorption of vitamins A, D, E and K. Just keep in mind that you can’t eat quite as much as you’d eat on a ketogenic diet if you are eating carbs. More Diets Decoded: The Paleo Diet The Mediterranean Diet